Canadian Procurement Pulse: Your Weekly Contractor Insider

Energy is dominating the procurement agenda this week. Ottawa and the provinces are cutting deals on pipelines and power grids, signalling a shift toward infrastructure that keeps Canadian resources flowing to Canadian (and Asian) markets rather than south of the border. Meanwhile, Ontario's Buy Ontario Act is adding teeth to the local procurement movement, and we've got a decade of federal construction data that tells an interesting story about who's actually winning the work.

Here's your essential briefing:

Ontario’s Buy Ontario Act

Source: Global News | Date: November 20, 2025

What's Happening: Ontario introduced Bill 72, the Buy Ontario Act, mandating public-sector organizations to prioritize Ontario-made goods first, then Canadian products second. The scope covers ministries, municipalities, Crown agencies, and contractors engaged in provincial procurements. Non-compliant vendors face fines, payment holdbacks, or being barred from future contracts.

The government is also creating vendor lists of qualified Ontario and Canadian suppliers. Exceptions exist if local goods are unavailable at "reasonable cost or time frame."

What It Means For You:

• Out-of-province firms will likely need Ontario-based partners or local operations to remain competitive

• Prepare for new bid criteria requiring Ontario/Canadian content declarations

• Ontario-based companies should capitalize on home-field advantage, but expect similar policies emerging in other provinces

Between Us: The enforcement teeth here are real. This isn't just flag-waving; vendors who ignore the requirements risk getting shut out entirely. If you're bidding on Ontario projects without a clear local content story, now's the time to find partners or rethink your approach.

Data Spotlight: Federal Construction Spending (2015-2025)

We analyzed a decade of federal construction contracts to see where the money actually flows.

The Big Picture: $42 billion across 70K contracts with 4.2K unique vendors. Canadian firms capture 70% of that value ($29 billion), with non-Canadian firms taking 30% ($12 billion).

What Happened in 2018-2019? Those two mega-projects we mentioned (Champlain Bridge and ESAP Project Co) landed in those years, temporarily tanking the Canadian share to under 37%. Strip those out and Canada never really lost ground.

The Real Story: Since 2020, Canadian firms have steadily increased their share from 81% to 90.5% in 2025. Buy Canadian isn't just political rhetoric; the numbers show it's actually happening at the federal level.

Top Canadian Contractors by Federal Contract Value:

The Two Markets: There's a clear split between builders and consultants. PCL, Pomerleau, and EllisDon win fewer, larger construction contracts. WSP and Stantec dominate volume with thousands of smaller engineering and consulting engagements. Both models work, but they're fundamentally different businesses. Notably, WSP and Stantec just landed the Bradford Bypass design contracts we covered above, reinforcing their position as the go-to firms for major infrastructure design work.

Top Non-Canadian Contractors:

Between Us: EBC Inc averages $104M per contract across just 7 deals. They're clearly chasing the biggest opportunities and winning them. Meanwhile, the 90.5% Canadian share in 2025 suggests the policy pressure is working, even before the Buy Ontario Act kicks in.

Interprovincial Power Grid Initiative

Source: CBC News | Date: December 1, 2025

What's Happening: Manitoba and Ontario are pushing for a national electricity grid, with Premier Wab Kinew signing onto an Ontario-led MOU for expanded interprovincial transmission lines. Manitoba sees this as a chance to export its hydroelectric surplus beyond Saskatchewan and Northwestern Ontario. Kinew framed it bluntly: in an era of U.S. protectionism, "it's a good time to build domestic energy transmission."

The initiative is also a play for federal dollars. With Ottawa having just reached a pipeline deal with Alberta, Manitoba argues similar funding should flow to green transmission infrastructure.

What It Means For You:

• No dollar figures yet, but this lays groundwork for major transmission line and converter station projects across provincial borders

• Expect complex joint procurement across jurisdictions with multiple provincial standards and Indigenous partnership requirements

• Opportunities extend beyond construction into smart grid systems, energy storage, and maintenance services

Between Us: Canada has talked about grid connectivity for decades while provinces operated as energy islands. U.S. trade tensions might finally provide the political cover to make it happen. Whether this moves from MOU to RFP depends on federal appetite for another major infrastructure commitment alongside the Alberta pipeline.

Federal-Provincial Energy Deal: New Alberta Pipeline

Source: Reuters | Date: November 27, 2025

What's Happening: Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith signed an MOU for a new oil pipeline to Canada's West Coast with roughly 1 million barrels per day capacity aimed at Asian markets. In exchange for Alberta's cooperation, Ottawa agreed to scrap a proposed oil and gas emissions cap and amend the Oil Tanker Moratorium Act. A former environment minister resigned from Cabinet in protest.

The timeline is ambitious: regulatory changes targeted for early 2026. No proponent named yet, but Trans Mountain is expected to run out of spare capacity by 2030, underscoring the push.

What It Means For You:

• EPC firms in pipeline and oil & gas infrastructure should monitor closely for formal project launches once a private consortium forms

• Early engagement with federal regulators, Indigenous communities, and provincial agencies will be crucial given political sensitivities

• Expect joint ventures to handle the multi-billion dollar scale, with risk allocation (cost overruns, delays) as a key contract consideration

Between Us: This is a significant policy pivot. The Carney government is clearly willing to trade climate commitments for energy infrastructure and provincial cooperation. For contractors, it signals that policy risk cuts both ways: what seemed like a dead end for pipeline projects six months ago is now a multi-billion dollar opportunity.

Ontario Bradford Bypass Highway Contracts

Source: Daily Commercial News | Date: November 28, 2025

What's Happening: Ontario awarded design and program management contracts for the Bradford Bypass, a 16.3 km highway promising to cut York Region/Simcoe County travel times by 35 minutes. WSP and Stantec will handle design; Jacobs and Egis oversee program management. The west section is already underway, demonstrating the province's accelerated approach.

What It Means For You:

• Contract scope includes community consultations, utility coordination, and Indigenous engagement

• Ontario's fast-tracking means compressed schedules with parallel project phases; prepare to mobilize quickly

Between Us: The usual suspects landed these contracts, which tells you something about how major transportation projects still favor established players. That said, the accelerated timeline creates subcontracting opportunities for firms that can mobilize fast and handle the stakeholder coordination requirements.

Your Procurement Action Plan

Energy Infrastructure Positioning: Two major energy MOUs in one week signals serious federal-provincial alignment on infrastructure. Pipeline and transmission contractors should be engaging now with provincial utilities, federal regulators, and Indigenous communities before formal RFPs drop.

Document Your Canadian Content: With Ontario's Buy Ontario Act introducing real penalties for non-compliance, and federal construction trending toward 90%+ Canadian share, your local content story needs to be airtight. If you're bidding without clear Canadian ownership, employment, and supply chain documentation, you're already behind.

Watch the Mega-Project Pipeline: Between the Alberta pipeline, interprovincial grid expansion, and Ontario's accelerated highway program, the next 24 months will see significant opportunities for firms that can mobilize quickly and handle complex stakeholder requirements.

Consider Your Business Model: The federal data shows two paths to success: high-volume consulting (WSP/Stantec) or fewer, larger construction wins (PCL/Pomerleau/EBC). Both work, but know which game you're playing.

Publicus helps government contractors find, qualify, and win more contracts with less effort. Our AI-powered platform monitors every opportunity across all government levels, with analytics on pricing and competition so you can understand your market like never before,.